Vining will lead Bulldogs

December 7, 2011

Some new faces will see plenty of mat time when Kettle Falls High School gets its 2011-2012 wrestling season underway close to home on Wednesday at Colville in a Jamboree with the Indians, Chewelah, Selkirk and Republic. Wrestling gets started at 5 p.m.
The Bulldogs of head coach Joe Kerns will be at the Liberty Tournament on Saturday (9 a.m. start).
The Bulldogs, who competed in last Saturdayâ€™s tournament at Riverside, will likely have open weights at 112, 160 and 189, according to Kerns, who will be assisted on the mats this winter by Hedj Nelson, Jake Olson, Steve Kenny, John Harris and Travis Bolt. Also helping out the program will be Kevin Schernitzki and Kendall Swift.
Leading the Bulldogs will be State veteran Tyler Vining at 215 pounds. Senior Justin Wynhoff will be tough at 152 pounds.
Steven Cole, who sat out last season, is one of Kettleâ€™s handful of seniors. Dan Kearney is the other senior in the line-up.
â€śSteven is ready to make his mark at State,â€ť Kerns said. â€śDan was a first year wrestler last season with plenty of power. He worked with club wrestling to prepare for this season. Dan should be someone to watch. Heâ€™s even stronger than last season.â€ť

Kettleâ€™s lone female wrestler has shot at Tacoma

Freshman Garett Anderson will start at 106 pounds.
Lindsey Olvera will wrestle at 103 or 112 pounds in her second year on the mats.
â€śI expect her to qualify for State this season at either of those weights,â€ť Kerns said, adding that â€śwe had worked with other teams last year to get the girls to district and regional competition. We will probably try to get her into more female tournaments (this season).â€ť
Spencer Ridenour will be scrappy at 113 or 120 pounds and Jamison Walker has been looking solid at 125. Kyle Hyde will see mat time at 132.
Grady Neilson or Kory Swift will go at 119 pounds. Devyn Adnet is also looking solid at 125 pounds, according to Kerns.
Jacob Walsh or Wind Cutbirth are battling at 130 pounds. Freshman Philip Mapes will wrestle at 135 and Jake Wolff or Dan Kearney will go at 140 pounds.
An anomaly rarely seen is the double that Trey Tucker is handling. Tucker will be Kettleâ€™s 145 pounder, according to Kerns. Heâ€™s also playing basketball.
Austin Anderson will be strong at 171. Devlin Sommer or Zack Miller will be the heavyweights.
â€śPractices have been good with repetitions on core moves and transitioning into different situations or finishes,â€ť Kerns said.
Tim Krous and John Wolff will battle for varsity time at 182 pounds.
â€śThe potential is there this season for more participants with us at the 2B level. At B, it allows kids to participate in both sports during the winter.â€ť
Kerns said heâ€™d love to fill all the weights and have more wrestlers on the mats. But small school reality dictates otherwise.
â€śWeâ€™d love to have a full team, but it is a demanding sport and not everyone is able to give what it takes,â€ť Kerns said. â€śIt isnâ€™t a fun sport, but it is one of the most rewarding sports there is.â€ť